Police: Clerk shot man trying to rob Subway restaurant

ACWORTH, Ga. - Subway customers are showing no sympathy for the young gunman who Acworth Police said was shot during an attempted robbery at 10:45 Monday morning.

“I think when you go inside a place with a gun or any other type of weapon, you put people in a position where they have to defend themselves,” Subway customer Arthur Monnier told FOX 5's Portia Bruner after purchasing a sandwich. “I think the clerk here did the right thing.”

Only two employees were inside when the perp ran through the front door of the shop on Acworth Oaks Drive.

“The suspect came through the front door with a handgun and jumped over the counter. One of the employees was able to reach for his firearm first and fired one shot, hitting the suspect in the chest,” said Captain Mark Cheatham, Acworth Police Department.

Captain Cheatham said the wounded would-be robber, identified as 20-year-old Deandre Antonio Yates, of Cincinnati, Ohio, showed up at the Kennestone Medical Clinic a few miles away on Cherokee Street.

Witnesses told FOX 5 Yates was spotted getting into a grey or silver vehicle. Police are still trying to get a better description of the getaway driver and the vehicle.

“While our officers were responding to the Subway on Acworth Oaks Drive, we got a call from Kennesaw Police saying they received a 911 call about someone coming in with gunshot wound at Kennesaw Urgent Care. We assumed it was related to our call," said Captain Cheatham.

Yates was listed in critical condition as of early Monday evening. Police are not releasing the charges he faces, but it appears the clerk will not be charged.

“We still have to complete the investigation and look at the video, but based on all accounts the clerk was acting in self-defense,” said Captain Cheatham.

“People need to think long and hard about the decisions they make because you could end up mortally wounded or just in the hospital or facing many, many years in prison when you do something like this,” said Monnier.

Subway employees had no comment about the ordeal, but they did reopen the store after police cleared the crime scene.